Pirates hijack Maltese ship

From Reuters, Pirates hijack Maltese ship off Somali coast:

Somali gunmen have hijacked a Maltese ship in the pirate-infested waters off the coast of Somalia in the latest of a spate of such incidents that have prompted strong maritime warnings, officials said on Friday. Pirates seized the Maltese-registered MV Pagania on Thursday with 22 Ukrainian crew members aboard, according to Ukrainian officials.

The ship was on its way from South Africa to Europe with 15 tonnes of iron ore. The pirates have demanded a $700,000 ransom for its release. Andrew Mwangura, a Mombasa-based seafarer official who received a VHF radio signal from the ship during the hijacking, said the gunmen ordered the captain to surrender at gunpoint.